How the fuck do you treat ocd?

[Ambivalent1]

Every compulsion I do is for a legitimate reason. Even people I know without ocd do some of the stuff I do. They just do it without the extreme anxiety. It's not silly stuff like avoiding cracks in the sidewalk because I think it'll lead to some catastrophe.

 

[アホペンギン]

My brother ocd but not as severe as you, he has been slowly getting better after I gave him some advice. My advice is usually rude remarks (because of my current mental state, I can't empathize with people very easily) but in the past, i'd just tell him to force himself to stop worrying about things, it slowly worked over the years. I'm not sure as to how someone like you would cure yourself from ocd because your ocd also includes you being very anxious so maybe what you could do is go to a specialist..

 

[Ambivalent1]

My brother ocd but not as severe as you, he has been slowly getting better after I gave him some advice. My advice is usually rude remarks (because of my current mental state, I can't empathize with people very easily) but in the past, i'd just tell him to force himself to stop worrying about things, it slowly worked over the years. I'm not sure as to how someone like you would cure yourself from ocd because your ocd also includes you being very anxious so maybe what you could do is go to a specialist..

I'm realizing meds are necessary. In order to treat the ocd the anxiety has to drop but Lorazepam is unavailable. So I don't know which one to try. Antidepressants are worthless. Should I try an antipsychotic?

 

[アホペンギン]

I'm realizing meds are necessary. In order to treat the ocd the anxiety has to drop but Lorazepam is unavailable. So I don't know which one to try. Antidepressants are worthless. Should I try an antipsychotic?

Sure, try an antipsychotic. You should also consider the medical history in your family, if anyone has taken an antipsychotic and has been facing the same or similar problems as you, you should try that antipsychotic that they used before anything else. Genetics play a huge role.

 

[soonatpeace777888]

An SSRI could help you, they helped me. Beware there are possible side effects, there is someone here who wants to CTB because of SSRI side effect but cases like his are pretty rare.

 

[CTBookOfLife]

Medicine (SSRIs especially) and ERP (Exposure Response Prevention). ERP is a type of CBT, and it has been shown to be the best for OCD. I'm currently trying to find a therapist that does it for me.

 

[Ambivalent1]

Medicine (SSRIs especially) and ERP (Exposure Response Prevention). ERP is a type of CBT, and it has been shown to be the best for OCD. I'm currently trying to find a therapist that does it for me.

Erp is worse than ocd

 

[toofargone6969]

TMS but specifically the Brainsway machine is fda approved to treat ocd. It didn't do shit for me but it's worth a shot if your insurance will approve it. Shouldn't make you worse like meds can. Also zoloft is supposed to work well for ocd at higher doses. I tried zoloft for a few weeks and couldn't handle the side effects at 12.5mg lol. My OCD is body dysmorphic based though which is almost impossible to treat

 

[CTBookOfLife]

Erp is worse than ocd

How so?

 

[Ambivalent1]

How so?

I had to touch the under-the-seat part of a public toilet seat and then eat a sandwich without washing my hands first. Then she wanted me to go home and touch everything in sight after touching dirty things. Wanted me to touch my freshly shaved face too which could cause skin infections. It doesnt help that my immune system isnt the best because of chronic stress from PTSD. Erp could kill me.

All I want is a fucking list of normal behaviors but that's not how treatment works.

 

[cosifantutti]

I'm realizing meds are necessary. In order to treat the ocd the anxiety has to drop but Lorazepam is unavailable. So I don't know which one to try. Antidepressants are worthless. Should I try an antipsychotic?

At high doses SSRIs can be effective but as I say the dose must be high. For OCD it takes up to 12 weeks for them to take effect, something I hadn't realised. Maybe you've tried these to no effect.
For a time pregabalin helped me but after about 6 months it fizzled out.

 

[mellie5]

Hello - in true OCD the patient experiences the rituals as not warranted or against his will. If you - like you say - avoid cracks because you think they will cause something to happen, this is a delusion, not a compulsion.

Lorazepam is an anxiolytic that can calm you but is addictive.

Did you try to see what a doctor would recommend? You shouldn't take pregabalin or SSRIs on anything based on what internet people say.

A proper prescription would involve a medical history, a personal history and blood tests. Here nobody even knows your age and comorbidities.

Even if someone says "antipsychotic" - then which one? they all work in different ways and have different side effects. The best treatment is usually medication + psychotherapy.

 

[Ambivalent1]

Hello - in true OCD the patient experiences the rituals as not warranted or against his will. If you - like you say - avoid cracks because you think they will cause something to happen, this is a delusion, not a compulsion.

Lorazepam is an anxiolytic that can calm you but is addictive.

Did you try to see what a doctor would recommend? You shouldn't take pregabalin or SSRIs on anything based on what internet people say.

A proper prescription would involve a medical history, a personal history and blood tests. Here nobody even knows your age and comorbidities.

Even if someone says "antipsychotic" - then which one? they all work in different ways and have different side effects. The best treatment is usually medication + psychotherapy.

I said I don't avoid cracks...

 

[mellie5]

sorry, I misread. But if you do something "for a legitimate reason" it's not OCD, in OCD people repeat things over and over even if they themselves think they should not be doing them and they don't want to do them anyway.

What you describe sounds more like ideas of reference, which are a sort of half delusion.

The best would be to talk to a real doctor, because, depending on what is going on, the situation can be treated non-pharmacologically, just by talking.

If the ideas of reference don't impair your daily life then certainly psychotherapy is the way to go and you might not need any medication.

 

[Ambivalent1]

sorry, I misread. But if you do something "for a legitimate reason" it's not OCD, in OCD people repeat things over and over even if they themselves think they should not be doing them and they don't want to do them anyway.

What you describe sounds more like ideas of reference, which are a sort of half delusion.

The best would be to talk to a real doctor, because, depending on what is going on, the situation can be treated non-pharmacologically, just by talking.

If the ideas of reference don't impair your daily life then certainly psychotherapy is the way to go and you might not need any medication.

It seems like it's ocd and doing things I should do combined. The things I do aren't done by others even though I do them for a reason. It's like everything I do is excessive

 

[everydayiloveyou]

Ive been on an antidepressant for more than a year, and it's helped a ton with OCD. It only started helping once I got on a higher dose -- my doctor told me that for OCD it usually takes a higher dose to see improvement. It was a night and day difference for me, I went from obsessively doing my rituals and compulsions to bring "good luck" and "make social situations go better" to not thinking twice if I didn't do something.

The therapy helped more with depression only. Only the meds stopped the intense anxiety and thinking around the compulsions. If you haven't tried already, look into seeing a psychiatrist and getting on antidepressants or anxiolytics.

 

[Ambivalent1]

Ive been on an antidepressant for more than a year, and it's helped a ton with OCD. It only started helping once I got on a higher dose -- my doctor told me that for OCD it usually takes a higher dose to see improvement. It was a night and day difference for me, I went from obsessively doing my rituals and compulsions to bring "good luck" and "make social situations go better" to not thinking twice if I didn't do something.

The therapy helped more with depression only. Only the meds stopped the intense anxiety and thinking around the compulsions. If you haven't tried already, look into seeing a psychiatrist and getting on antidepressants or anxiolytics.

Why not tell me the magic medicine's name?

 

[everydayiloveyou]

sorry, I misread. But if you do something "for a legitimate reason" it's not OCD, in OCD people repeat things over and over even if they themselves think they should not be doing them and they don't want to do them anyway.

What you describe sounds more like ideas of reference, which are a sort of half delusion.

The best would be to talk to a real doctor, because, depending on what is going on, the situation can be treated non-pharmacologically, just by talking.

If the ideas of reference don't impair your daily life then certainly psychotherapy is the way to go and you might not need any medication.

it depends on the reason, stuff like locking and unlocking the door multiple times is indeed for a "legitimate reason" to most people with the compulsion, even to people without OCD, but the severity and the stress surrounding the action is not.

OP, you can look up one of those "types of compulsions" charts and see if any of them match with your symptoms. The cracks in the sidewalks is a common superstition-related one. But people can even develop OCD around things like thoughts or religious rituals.

if not doing the compulsive action causes significant anxiety, regardless of how valid or real its significance does or doesnt feel, it could still be classic OCD.

Why not tell me the magic medicine's name?

Sertraline

 

[Ambivalent1]

it depends on the reason, stuff like locking and unlocking the door multiple times is indeed for a "legitimate reason" to most people with the compulsion, even to people without OCD, but the severity and the stress surrounding the action is not.

OP, you can look up one of those "types of compulsions" charts and see if any of them match with your symptoms. The cracks in the sidewalks is a common superstition-related one. But people can even develop OCD around things like thoughts or religious rituals.

if not doing the compulsive action causes significant anxiety, regardless of how valid or real its significance does or doesnt feel, it could still be classic OCD.

Sertraline

Zoloft?

 

[everydayiloveyou]

Zoloft?

yup
100mg was my "magic dose"
50mg and 75mg did absolutely nothing

also note I was on each dose for at least 8 weeks which is around how long it takes to see if its really doing anything

 

[Ambivalent1]

yup
100mg was my "magic dose"
50mg and 75mg did absolutely nothing

also note I was on each dose for at least 8 weeks which is around how long it takes to see if its really doing anything

Why so long for this stuff to work?

 

[everydayiloveyou]

Why so long for this stuff to work?

I forgot exactly what my doctor said but it's something about how your body metabolizes zoloft. It starts at the stomach or something before it gets to your brain, which is why rhe first week involves crazy stomach aches and nausea for some people (including me), and why missing a dose isn't that big of a deal because your gut is still metabolizing the zoloft.

Also for zoloft, it's pretty common for low doses to help with pure depression, while high doses are better for anxiety disorders like OCD. My doctor eased me in because I was very against medication, worried about side effects, and I didn't want to be on a high dose at all at first espec if a lower one would help me just as much. I also wanted to give each dose the recommended 6~8 weeks to see if it's really working or if I was just having a good week.

Easing in left me with 0 side effects after the first week of each dose change and I was able to see clearly that the low doses weren't doing anything. I also felt better since if I did end up giving up on meds, I knew I gave them a fair shot. I could get off them now but I'd rather not since I don't want the OCD to possibly come back, and zoloft is safe to take for life

 

[SenseOfLoss]

I was also supposed to take sertraline, but unfortunately I couldn't tolerate it. I was then given aripiprazole, which I tolerated better. It helped me to get my obsessive thinking under control, but I also had the feeling of being remote-controlled and emotionless.

 

[everydayiloveyou]

I was also supposed to take sertraline, but unfortunately I couldn't tolerate it. I was then given aripiprazole, which I tolerated better. It helped me to get my obsessive thinking under control, but I also had the feeling of being remote-controlled and emotionless.

oh yeah the numbness can be pretty bad at first, especially before the work you're doing in therapy catches up with your new calmness

I'd prefer to feel slightly blunted than constantly sad and on edge though. Once therapy caught up and I started making friends, picking up new hobbies, got my new job, the numbness was no longer a problem since it only numbed the stress and sadness. I could still feel happiness and joy, even more frequently and deeply now that I wasn't always thinking about what I forgot to do in the morning or whatever

 

[NancyVicious]

I got OCD when I was a little kid and my brother died. It's taken many forms over the years, hand washing to the point of barely having any skin left. Having nighttime rituals where I had to repeatedly say the names of everyone I cared about because I was convinced they would all be dead by the morning if i didn't.
Checking things, doors wallet, anything really. Constantly redoing things I'd just done because I needed to confirm I'd done them. You name it, I did it. The intrusive thoughts that came with it were even worse than the constant rituals.
I managed to overcome it in my early thirties. It wasn't meds or therapy for me, I'll be really honest with you, it's having to break the cycle, like a previous poster said. Work on one ritual at a time, if you have to check the door constantly, just don't get up one night and do it. The anxiety will be through the roof, but when nothing happens, you come to realise it doesn't matter so much.

If it's hygiene related, force yourself to not scrub your hands. Leave the dishes in the sink etc.

I know I've probably made this sound far more simple than it is, I know it's not easy, I spent so many years basically scared to do anything. But once I stopped the rituals the intrusive thoughts quietened so much

 

[SenseOfLoss]

oh yeah the numbness can be pretty bad at first, especially before the work you're doing in therapy catches up with your new calmness

I'd prefer to feel slightly blunted than constantly sad and on edge though. Once therapy caught up and I started making friends, picking up new hobbies, got my new job, the numbness was no longer a problem since it only numbed the stress and sadness. I could still feel happiness and joy, even more frequently and deeply now that I wasn't always thinking about what I forgot to do in the morning or whatever

I am very happy for you, that sounds really very good and promising. I was also in therapy and my path was similar... However, I still felt unwell, also because I was gaining weight, and so I stopped the medication again. I thought I would make it this way, but unfortunately that's not really the case. I have to say that my initial situation is also a bit different, because I have obsessive thoughts because of a previous medication damage... Anyway, I wish you that it continues to go uphill!

 

[Ambivalent1]

I got OCD when I was a little kid and my brother died. It's taken many forms over the years, hand washing to the point of barely having any skin left. Having nighttime rituals where I had to repeatedly say the names of everyone I cared about because I was convinced they would all be dead by the morning if i didn't.
Checking things, doors wallet, anything really. Constantly redoing things I'd just done because I needed to confirm I'd done them. You name it, I did it. The intrusive thoughts that came with it were even worse than the constant rituals.
I managed to overcome it in my early thirties. It wasn't meds or therapy for me, I'll be really honest with you, it's having to break the cycle, like a previous poster said. Work on one ritual at a time, if you have to check the door constantly, just don't get up one night and do it. The anxiety will be through the roof, but when nothing happens, you come to realise it doesn't matter so much.

If it's hygiene related, force yourself to not scrub your hands. Leave the dishes in the sink etc.

I know I've probably made this sound far more simple than it is, I know it's not easy, I spent so many years basically scared to do anything. But once I stopped the rituals the intrusive thoughts quietened so much

What about the compulsions that make sense? For instance, soon after washing my hands I'll run my hands across my forearms (I wash them too) and hands several times to help them dry faster or to check that they're dry so I can use my phone without ruining it with water. I can't go straight to using my phone after washing my hands. Hand towels never dry well enough

 

[NancyVicious]

What about the compulsions that make sense? For instance, soon after washing my hands I'll run my hands across my forearms (I wash them too) and hands several times to help them dry faster or to check that they're dry so I can use my phone without ruining it with water. I can't go straight to using my phone after washing my hands. Hand towels never dry well enough

I suppose it's a question of if that compulsion is causing you harm or not. Is running your hands over your arms having a negative impact on the way you go about your day? If it's just second you spend doing that rather than minutes each time, do you have to change it?

To break that particular compulsion, it would probably be doing something like forcing yourself to pick your phone up with a damp hand. See what happens. When you see this hasn't damaged your phone, your mind should start to realise that ritual may not be as important. Again, I do appreciate it's hard to do that and don't want to sound like I'm over simplifying. Start with the compulsions that really impact your day to day and work on one thing at a time

 

[Ambivalent1]

I suppose it's a question of if that compulsion is causing you harm or not. Is running your hands over your arms having a negative impact on the way you go about your day? If it's just second you spend doing that rather than minutes each time, do you have to change it?

To break that particular compulsion, it would probably be doing something like forcing yourself to pick your phone up with a damp hand. See what happens. When you see this hasn't damaged your phone, your mind should start to realise that ritual may not be as important. Again, I do appreciate it's hard to do that and don't want to sound like I'm over simplifying. Start with the compulsions that really impact your day to day and work on one thing at a time

Yeah it's time-consuming and stressful each time. When you dry your hands after washing them, how dry are they afterward?

 

[NancyVicious]

Yeah it's time-consuming and stressful each time. When you dry your hands after washing them, how dry are they afterward?

Usually not very at all, I have a habit of just shaking mine dry. But on the flip side when I had excessive hand washing issues, I never dried them afterwards because I was scared of germs on towels. That's not why I don't always dry them now, I'm not fussed about germs so much but my brain maybe just goes to that without any active thought process to it because I did it for so long